Nonviolent first-time misdemeanor offenders will have the "choice" of going to church instead of going to jail. This program was announced in September of 2011, and the ACLU and the FFRF immediately objected. Bay Minette said they would put the program on hold while reviewing it. I had thought that would be the end of it, since the unconstitutionality should be brutally obvious, but it now appears that they intend to proceed with the program.

This is a law respecting the establishment of religion as an alternative to the establishment of a jail. This should be quite clear cut violation.

Except it isn't in the minds of believers. One of those thing I would if I were a judge, tell every Christian they have to go to a Wiccan preistess or a Mullah to hammer home why this the constitution is correct and they are wrong.

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An Omnipowerful God needed to sacrifice himself to himself (but only for a long weekend) in order to avert his own wrath against his own creations who he made in a manner knowing that they weren't going to live up to his standards.

This is a law respecting the establishment of religion as an alternative to the establishment of a jail. This should be quite clear cut violation.

Except it isn't in the minds of believers. One of those thing I would if I were a judge, tell every Christian they have to go to a Wiccan preistess or a Mullah to hammer home why this the constitution is correct and they are wrong.

Right... reading some of the rationalizations from the people who support this program would be funny if it weren't so serious. One guy (a sheriff, I think it was) said that there was no Constitutional issue because the person would be free to choose any church they wanted, not sent to a specific one chosen by the court. I think he really believes it, too.

I've heard others say that it's not coercion because you have the choice between church or jail. Such individuals obviously don't understand the true purpose of incarceration. It's not meant to be a sort of governmental license for anything. Rather, it is a threat of force intended to require (or forbid) a particular behavior. When the government passes a law providing for up to five years in jail for stealing a car (or whatever), the message is not, "You are free to steal a car so long as you are willing to serve the jail time." The law is meant to prevent people from stealing cars.

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[On how kangaroos could have gotten back to Australia after the flood]: Don't kangaroos skip along the surface of the water? --Kenn

Hey I'm quite sure his age is in the double digits, so that danger has passed.

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An Omnipowerful God needed to sacrifice himself to himself (but only for a long weekend) in order to avert his own wrath against his own creations who he made in a manner knowing that they weren't going to live up to his standards.

What if you're not a Christian? Do you get to go to a Mosque if Muslim, or a Synagogue for Jews, or etc., for everyone else? Or, would they be forced to go to a good wholesome Christian church?

-Nam

There's a list of churches that are participating in the program. Fifty-six of them, I think. Given that it's in small-town Alabama, I think you can guess how many of those churches are non-Christian. I'd say maybe two or three, at most. More likely none at all.

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[On how kangaroos could have gotten back to Australia after the flood]: Don't kangaroos skip along the surface of the water? --Kenn

Well, it's unconstitutional for the main reason but even moreso if Christianity is forced on non-Christians.

Well, of course it is.

I've emailed the Bay Minette Chief of Police to ask him for a list of the participating churches. We'll see what he says. I'm also Googling to see whether I can find it that way, but I have a hunch the list of churches is probably being kept secret, or at least somewhat so. Not that it matters. The list will come out in testimony at the lawsuit they're going to get slapped with. American Atheists has already said on their Facebook page that they are actively seeking a plaintiff.

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[On how kangaroos could have gotten back to Australia after the flood]: Don't kangaroos skip along the surface of the water? --Kenn

See, it'll be yelled from some Christians that atheist fascists are not only trying to keep Christianity out of schools, and public places but they don't care about non-violent offenders and for them to seek the "right" kind of help.

Are the JW's allowed to participate? The Mormons? The Santerias? The Buddhists? The Flying Spaghetti Monster? The Rastafarians? (There would be a line outside the Rasta counseling center, mon.)

I'll bet the Scientologists will be right on this, as will the Moonies and the Baghwan Rajneesh. Will they be getting government contracts like Marcus Bachman? Some religions know a good money-making opportunity when they see it.

Just. Agghhh.

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When all of Cinderella's finery changed back at midnight, why didn't the shoes disappear? What's up with that?

I really don't get it. I know that there are people who genuinely believe that religion can have a positive impact on moral behavior, and that in itself is baffling. But the idea that a judge, (who I'm assuming went to law school, and then passed the bar and then excelled above his/her peers to earn the honor of being a judge), could believe that sort of silliness leaves me just angry and disgusted.

I suspect that the majority of these "non-violent" crimes are related to poverty. The Christian church says that "there will be poor always," and as an institution, it considers poverty a normal part of their deity's plan.

Rather than church, why not send them to job skills training, or nutrition classes, or stress management classes. I think that helping people find a supportive community is a positive thing. But not a community that considers their personal suffering to be part of god's plan, rather than society's problem.